Our History

Burgar Rowe Professional Corporation

Burgar Rowe has a history that dates back more than 100 years. The firm was derived from two firms: Boys, Seagram & Rowe and Burgar, Dart, Krelove & Knight. Four partners of Owen Burgar departed and formed their own partnership. The Burgar, Dart, Krelove & Knight firm then merged with the Boys firm to form Burgar Rowe. One of the partners, Ozzie Rowe was the city solicitor for many years.

Since the merger of these two Barrie law firms in 1985, Burgar Rowe grew steadily to form one of Simcoe County's largest law firm providing a comprehensive range of legal services with highly skilled professionals, in all areas of law. Burgar Rowe provided high quality service to clients from all segments of the community - large corporations, financial institutions, contractors, retailers, municipalities, small businesses and individuals. Providing clients with legal services tailored to meet their needs has always been the firm’s differentiator.

Purser Dooley Cockburn Smith LLP

PDCS arose from the merger in 2006 of two prominent and successful business law firms in Barrie: Cockburn & Smith and Purser, Dooley LLP.

Purser, Dooley LLP was established January 1, 2002 by Alan Purser and Dan Dooley. Mr. Purser practiced law in Barrie from 1972 to 2006 and was one of the founding partners of Oatley, Purser until the firm divided into two separate firms in January of 2002. This division allowed for the creation of Purser, Dooley LLP and the ability of the firm to focus on its core areas of practice — being business issues and commercial litigation.

Cockburn & Smith was established July 1, 1990, by John Cockburn and David Smith. Mr. Cockburn has practiced law in his hometown of Barrie since his call to the bar in 1962. Mr. Smith joined him in 1976. Their partnership focused on corporate, commercial and residential real estate and estate planning services.

The combined firm of PDCS continues to focus on its predecessors’ core areas of expertise, namely Corporate Commercial, Commercial Litigation, Commercial & Residential Real Estate and Wills & Estates.